Voters will decide whether Hollywood Burbank Airport can proceed with replacement terminal

At the end of the upcoming election next week, one thing will be clear — either the majority of Burbank residents will have shown support for the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority to build a replacement terminal at Hollywood Burbank Airport or the agency will have to go back to the drawing board.

During the election, roughly 104,000 Burbank residents will have the chance to vote on Measure B, a ballot measure asking whether the airport authority should be allowed to construct a new 14-gate terminal either on a site known as the B-6 parcel on the northeast section of the airport or on its southwest corner.

The existing 232,000-square-foot, 14-gate terminal would be demolished after completion of the new terminal.

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Airport officials have been leaning toward the B-6 parcel, where they want to build a 355,000-square-foot, 14-gate terminal. If they chose not to build on that site, the ballot measure, if approved, would allow the airport authority to construct either a 355,000-square-foot or 232,000-square-foot terminal, both 14-gates, on the southwest corner.

Another component of the measure has nothing to do with structures. Should the ballot measure pass, the airport authority will create a super-majority voting requirement among its nine commissioners — three members each from Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena — on major topics, such as increasing the number of gates, expanding the terminal, land acquisitions or entering into long-term contracts.

Two representatives from each city would need to approve those issues. Currently, only a simple majority is needed to make such decisions.

Throughout their efforts to gain approval to build a terminal, airport officials have been saying the dated existing terminal does not meet current seismic standards or modern Federal Aviation Administration standards.

However, some residents have said they are concerned about what authority plans to do and what its members have planned for some time.

Ever since the inception of the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority in 1978, airport officials have looked to replace the terminal, which was built in 1930. However, throughout that time, residents and the city have disagreed with the moves the authority has attempted to make and has intervened, at times with litigation.

At one point, the airport authority wanted to build as many as 27 gates at the airfield, but after lengthy court battles, the plan never came to fruition.

Currently, a vocal group against the authority’s most recent plan has been saying for months that Measure B was rushed to the ballot.

One of the biggest issues the group has with the airport authority’s proposal is that they believe the ballot measure would take away the ability for Burbank residents to vote on matters relating to the airport.

City Atty. Amy Albano said at previous meetings that the original Measure B — a ballot measure passed in 2000 that required voter approval for any relocated or expanded terminal at Hollywood Burbank Airport — would be triggered if the airport authority requires discretionary approval from the city of Burbank.

Additionally, Albano said that if the 2016 ballot measure is approved and down the road the airport authority wants to expand the terminal and add more gates, not only would a super-majority of airport commissioners need to approve it, but airport officials would also need approval from the City Council per a state public utility code.

Another issue residents have with the proposal is the number of flights coming through the airport. Some residents have said that a bigger terminal would bring in more flights and reduce the quality of life of those living near the airfield or under flight paths.

Also regarding concerns about an increased number of flights, some residents have raised concerns about the Next Generation Air Transportation System, known simply as NextGen, a project being carried out by the FAA that is unrelated to the airport authority’s proposal for a new terminal.

Since last year, the FAA has been implementing the new air-traffic-control system, which aims to create more time- and fuel-efficient routes and improve airplane arrivals and departures. However, dozens of cities, most recently Newport Beach and Laguna Beach, have sued the FAA over the system, fearing that there would be a rise in air traffic over homes.

The airport authority and the FAA have both stated that the system will not increase the number of flights at Hollywood Burbank Airport. Airport spokeswoman Lucy Burghdorf has stated previously that the airport saw many more flights during 2007 before the economic downturn hit.

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Anthony Clark Carpio, anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com

Twitter: @acocarpio